SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES OF DANISH MIDDLE-AGED MEN - METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

A Danish cohort-investigation of health risk-factors (started in 1976) included descriptions of the sexuality of the participants. This pape r examines the validity/representativity of the results of the sexolog ical investigation of the male participants, when in 1987 they were 51 years old. Remaining results will be published in separate articles a bout each main theme. The participants, 439 men, completed a questionn aire concerning sexuality (behaviour, attitudes and experience) and ha d their serum-LH and serum-free testosterone measured. Thereafter 100 of the 439 men were interviewed. The present examination shows that th e participants are representative of same-aged men from all over Denma rk concerning the sexological results. The answer ratio of the questio nnaire was 70-95% and the non-responders of the questionnaire gave dif ferent interview answers than the rest. Complemented with their answer s (answer ratio of nearly 100%) the interview results are more represe ntative than the results of the questionnaire. The interview informati on is in this study considered more valid than the information obtaine d by the questionnaire-because the former more frequently than the lat ter contain answers embarrassing to the participants (e.g. high freque ncy of masturbation) or difficult for them to recall. The interview th ereby adds vital information to that of the questionnaire.